“Family Equality Council calls upon all Americans — religious and secular, LGBTQ and allies — to stand up and let our government know this type of action is unacceptable.”
May 3, 2017 — For Immediate Release
NEW YORK, N.Y. — Media reports yesterday indicate that the Trump Administration plans to sign an Executive Order on Thursday similar to a leaked order that was widely circulated in February that would be deeply damaging to the LGBTQ community. The previous draft, leaked from the White House and subsequently published by The Nation earlier this year, reveals what may be in store. While the leaked order was titled “Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom” it is crystal clear that this order — if signed by the President — will provide a sweeping license to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals, same-sex couples and their families, and would deal a devastating blow to the significant progress made toward full legal and lived equality for the LGBTQ community.
Responding to the threat of an executive order granting a broad license to discriminate, Family Equality Council CEO Rev. Stan J. Sloan said: “We join with our peers in the LGBTQ movement in making clear that this order is completely reprehensible. As we made clear earlier this year, an executive order of this type would have devastating effects on LGBTQ families and vulnerable LGBTQ youth across the country. To sew hatred and discrimination in the name of protecting ‘religious freedom’ is an insult to people of faith across the United States. Family Equality Council calls upon all Americans — religious and secular, LGBTQ and allies — to stand up and let our government know this type of action is unacceptable.”
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About Family Equality Council
Family Equality Council connects, supports, and represents the three million parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer in this country today and their six million children of all ages. We are changing attitudes and policies to ensure that all families are respected, loved, and celebrated — including families with parents who are LGBTQ. We are a community of parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren and unattached youth that reaches across this country. For almost forty years we have raised our children and raised our voices toward fairness for all families. As we look to the next chapter of our work, we are also focused on LGBTQ youth needing families and the two million LGBTQ adults waiting to foster or adopt in our country.
Media Contact
Ed Harris, Director of Communications
646–880–3005 x117
eharris@familyequality.org